Mass hysteria and incidence rate control in the organized groups (RUDN university approach)

Abstract

The article presents the results of the comprehensive study of methods for countering mass panic and explosive morbidity in the organized community (on the example of a number of activities implemented at the RUDN University during the ‘first wave’ of the covid-19 pandemic). The authors used elements of theoretical and empirical, sociological and experimental methods of research. After the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic of the new coronavirus in March 2020, the world will never be the same — most aspects of social interaction have changed, and the RUDN University could not stay away from global and all-Russian trends. In the article, the concept of dealing with stress and mass panic is considered not at the individual level, but at the level of the full-size medical institution with a multinational and multicultural community of 9000 people, completely isolated from the society. The authors managed to develop a model of doctor’s behavior, which proved to be effective when working with the younger generation (aged 18 to 35), including foreign students; provided an opportunity to control (to a certain limit) the mood of the masses on the entrusted territory, to ensure adherence to treatment and emotional support at all its stages. Due to the patient’s feeling of control over his condition, understanding of what is happening and, as a result, the development of critical perception of all information, the negative impact of the mass panic reaction was significantly reduced. Therefore, the authors achieved a disciplined organized community that followed all quarantine and isolation instructions, which significantly smoothed the peak of the incidence curve.